Americans know about their sports but do sport fans know what the rest of the world is playing

If you follow sports it is very easy to observe that Americans have there own brand of sports. Basketball, football, ice hockey and even baseball which do not have a big fan following worldwide are the biggest American sports. Nascar is the American style of car racing and even the Formula one cannot compare to its popularity in America. Ignorance to other sports is a big problem. So when you go abroad and go to a sports bar you find yourself confused and lost because of you cannot tell the difference between football and soccer. Lets us try and fix that.

We start with the most popular American sport – football. The Superbowl is watched by more than half American households and is the biggest annual sports event in America. However most sport fans barely have any knowledge of rugby which in many ways is similar to American football. Rugby itself is played either by “Rugby League” rules or “Rugby Union” rules which are the two most popular rugby sports. Although American football originated from rugby both have become quite different. A forward pass is not allowed in rugby. A touchdown is called a try and you are not awarded one if the ball does not touch the ground in the end-zone. Rugby has gained a lot of popularity in recent times and it has become very popular in Europe and especially Australia.

Of course the most popular football is soccer. Many sports fans don’t even realize that football is what soccer is called in the rest of the world or that it is the most popular game in the world. The soccer World Cup is the largest sports event next only to the Olympics. The game owes its popularity to its simplicity. All you need is a ball and goal posts at either ends of the ground and you are ready to go. Major soccer clubs are among the richest sport franchises in the world. The sport first became popular in Europe and South America and then spread to Africa and Asia. Although the most talented players usually come from South America they play for the big clubs of Europe. The English and the Spanish soccer club leagues have worldwide audiences and other popular leagues include the German Bundesliga, Italian Seria and the French ligue. Unlike basketball, usually international games involving the national teams are more popular than club games and events like the WorldCup invoke a lot of interest. Most players find it more prestigious to play in the national squad than to be playing for the richest club in the world.

Basketball originated in America itself and has become hugely popular over the years. Even though players like Yao Ming, Dirk Nowitzki and Manu Ginobili play in the NBA, basketball’s international appeal leaves a lot to be desired. The NBA has been a great platform for players of all nationalities to showcase their skills; but it is so because of a lack of big basketball leagues around the world. However it can still be called the most popular international “American” sport. It has all the ingredients needed for a popular game including simplicity and a small team size. Over the years its popularity has been on the rise especially in some parts of Europe and South America.

Nascar is the largest body of motorsports in the U.S. Even though Formula One races are the biggest motorsport attraction worldwide they are relatively unknown in America compared to the Nascar. Formula One is the highest class of auto car racing regulated by the FIA, the world’s motor sport governing body. While the Nextel Cup, Nascar’s tier-I series, is held in circuits all over America, Formula One races are held at grand prix circuits throughout the world. A Formula One race is the biggest television event next only to the Olympics and the soccer World Cup. Formula One teams have huge budgets and most of the largest car companies of the world are involved in the sport. Formula One has long been used by car companies for trying new innovations in motor car technology. Legendary sports car maker Ferrari made most of its fame on the Formula One circuit. A Formula One race is not only dependent on a driver’s skills but also on team strategies and car design. The Indianapolis circuit in the U.S has now been a part of the Formula One calendar for some time.